Benzema, Ibrahimovic, Messi… the decline of the idols of European football

On the last weekend of the 2022-2023 season, the lights of European football suddenly went out. The seven-time Ballon d’Or, Lionel Messi, lived his last moments at PSG until the final whistle. The “Nine”, Karim Benzema, surprised everyone by announcing his departure from Real Madrid, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic shocked the San Siro by ending his career after 25 seasons as a professional.

European football is turning the page, and other big names in this sport could be added to the list of departures: Luka Modric, N’Golo Kante, Ángel Di María… to Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks.

• Messi leaves PSG between whistles for the “best player in history”

It seemed like a foregone conclusion for several weeks, but on Saturday June 3 PSG made it official: Lionel Messi is leaving Paris after two years in Ligue 1. “Paris Saint-Germain is proud to have among its ranks the best player in history,” the Parisian club said in a statement.

About to turn 36, La Pulga, seven times Ballon d’Or winner and world champion with Argentina in 2022, leaves PSG with impressive statistics: he was decisive on 66 occasions (32 goals, 34 assists) in his 75 games with him. Paris, according to opt. Only Kylian Mbappé did it better in the same period.

But Lionel Messi has failed to take the Parisian club to the next level in the Champions League, as PSG have been knocked out in the round of 16 in the past two seasons. Add to this the fact that, at the beginning of May, the Argentine striker traveled to Saudi Arabia on business without the permission of his club.

Was it for these reasons that the player was whistled on Saturday in his last game? In any case, his departure contrasts with the celebrations that accompanied the announcement of the withdrawal of Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Sunday in Milan. The future of the “Flea” is now written far from Paris, perhaps in the United States, Saudi Arabia… or in Barcelona, ​​the club with which he won everything.

• Zlatan Ibrahimovic hangs up his boots cheered by the AC Milan tifosi

The end has arrived for “Ibra”. The 41-year-old Swedish colossus said goodbye on Sunday June 4 after AC Milan’s home win against Hellas Verona (3-1). At 1.95m tall and with 25 seasons as a professional, Zlatan Ibrahimovic ended a successful career in an emotional moment at the San Siro stadium.

The tifosi milanistas paid a heartfelt tribute to the man who wore the shirt rossoneri for six years, cheering him on repeatedly while “Ibra” was carried away by emotion. “It’s time to say goodbye to football, but not to you,” said the Swedish striker. “I will be a milanista for the rest of my life.”

Due to repeated injuries, the forty-year-old has barely been able to play this season. He leaves behind an impressive track record, with league titles in four different countries: two in the Netherlands with Ajax Amsterdam (2001-2004), five in Italy (three with Inter between 2006-2009, two with AC Milan between 2010- 2012 and then between 2020-2023), one in Spain with FC Barcelona (2009-2011) and four in France with PSG (2012-2016). The only trophies missing from his record are the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is also known for his catchphrases. “I arrived like a king, I’m leaving like a legend,” he said when announcing his departure from PSG in 2016. For his farewell to the Los Angeles Galaxy fans in 2019, ‘Ibra’ adopted a more brusque tone: “You loved Zlatan, I gave you Zlatan. You’re welcome (…) Now go back to your baseball games.” The Swedish striker has always played the self-confidence (and sometimes arrogance) card in his communications, tweeting during the pandemic: “Covid had the nerve to defy me. Bad idea.” European football will miss his unmistakable tone and his talent on the pitch.

• The “surprising” march of Karim Benzema, legend of Real Madrid

Unlike Lionel Messi, who was rumored to leave PSG several weeks ago, the announcement of Karim Benzema’s departure from Real Madrid stunned soccer fans this weekend. On Sunday June 4, ‘KB9’ announced to its board that he was leaving at the end of the season, after 14 years of an increasingly happy marriage with the White House. His coach, Carlo Ancelotti, admitted that the decision had been “a surprise to all of us”, but pledged his respect for the decision of “one of the best players in the world.

The French striker has left an indelible mark on the Merengue club, the club he loves, which he joined in 2009 from Olympique de Lyon: he has won 25 titles, including five Champions Leagues, becoming the most successful player in history of the club, at the height of Marcelo. ‘KB9’ is also the second top scorer in Merengue history and the fourth top scorer in the history of the League (353 goals).

Karim Benzema also won the Ballon d’Or in 2022 for his stratospheric season at club level, twenty-four years after the last trophy was won by a Frenchman (Zinedine Zidane in 1998).

These performances further explain the void that the number 9 merengue will leave on the European football scene. “He is one of the best players we’ve ever had,” praised Real Madrid’s director of international relations, former star Emilio Butragueño. Madrid fans also paid a well-deserved tribute to “KB9” after Sunday’s game against Athletic Bilbao. Finally, the club has announced that an official party will be held in Madrid on Tuesday June 6 to mark his departure. At 35, Karim Benzema is leaving for Saudi Arabia. State television ‘Al-Ekhbariya’ reports that ‘Al-Ittihad’ have reached an ‘official’ agreement for a ‘record’ two-season contract with the French striker.

• Other big names in European football announce their departure to Saudi Arabia

The Saudi sports offensive – already underway with the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr at the end of December – is not limited to Lionel Messi and Karim Benzema. Other big names in European soccer are also rumored to be heading to the country.

The local authorities are “in contact with more than ten players, many of whom have won the World Cup or the Champions League, with a view to their joining the Saudi league next season,” he declared on Monday, June 5. A source close to the negotiations told the AFP news agency. “In addition to receiving quite lucrative offers, they would play in a very competitive league. The goal is to close most of the deals before the start of next season on August 11.”

Luka Modric, Real Madrid midfielder, is one of the players in the Saudi kingdom’s sights. At 37, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner continues to delight football fans with his delicious assists with the outside of his foot. But his move to the Middle East seems far from done… he would even like to prolong his adventure at Real Madrid, according to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Other names being considered to land in Riyadh are the French world champions N’Golo Kanté and Hugo Lloris, and the Spanish Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. The Argentine Ángel Di María and the Brazilian Roberto Firmino have also joined the list of stars.

“The goal is to create a very strong and competitive league and raise the level of Saudi clubs,” a Saudi government official said. Under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohamed ben Salmane, Saudi Arabia is trying to improve its image, linked to strict Islam, and attract tourists and investment, partly through sports.

The monarchy has spent hundreds of millions on sports contracts to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, stage a Formula 1 Grand Prix and launch the dissident LIV golf circuit. All these initiatives have earned the monarchy accusations of trying to “whitewash” its human rights record through sport.

*With AFP; adapted from its original in French